


In Heroes We Trust

by nu-exo (Nekohime)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, M/M, MAMA!Powers, Minor Violence, Sex, Superpowers, Tiger and Bunny AU, idiots being idiots, there's one fight scene at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 03:15:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14886582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekohime/pseuds/nu-exo
Summary: He'd never expected life to be easier as a hero, but Jongdae thought that this was a bit much.  Honestly, falling for your friend and being King of Heroes should not have been this tricky.





	In Heroes We Trust

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #: 599  
> Pairing: Baekhyun/Chen  
> Rating: Explicit  
> Warnings: A long sex scene considering this isn't a pwp, some brief violence
> 
> Author's Note: I just wanted to say thank you to the mods for running this fest, and to the prompter for sending this prompt in. I love Tiger and Bunny and I'm glad someone else out there thought it'd make a great au for Exo :')
> 
> Thank you mods for being so patient with me! I had a lot going on recently, but I'm glad I was able to finish this. There are obviously things that I would change if I went back, but I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out, even if it changed along the way.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Jongdae had been so close.   _ So fucking close _ .  And yet here he was, sopping wet, electricity crackling around him angrily as Baekhyun  _ stole _ his villain arrest. Which, wouldn’t’ve been a problem if Baekhyun hadn’t been the reason why Jongdae was wet in the first place.

Jongdae watched, unimpressed, as Baekhyun waved at the Hero TV cameras hovering around him.  He winked winsomely at the growing crowd of bystanders, earning himself a chorus of squeals and cheers.  When he discreetly shot finger guns towards Jongdae, Jongdae narrowed his eyes into a glare, a large crack of lightning suddenly splitting the sky and unleashing a torrential downpour.  Baekhyun let out an indignant squawk, immediately snapping a small light shield into place over his head that did absolutely nothing against the rain.

“Isn’t this a bit much,  _ Zeus? _ ”

Jongdae looked to the side, biting back a snort at the sight of Minseok completely drenched.  Minseok gave him a Look, though, and Jongdae hastily cleared his throat, schooling his expression into something more neutral and less entertained.

“Why Frost, I have no idea what you mean.”

“Uh-huh,” Minseok intoned dryly.  “Sure. Because a heavy rainstorm on a clear night is completely normal.”

Jongdae shrugged, eyes sliding back to where Baekhyun was being ushered into his company’s transport vehicle, the crowd of admiring onlookers and the captured villain already gone.  He couldn’t help the smirk that wormed its way onto his lips when Baekhyun sent a glare and the middle finger over his shoulder as he climbed in. Jongdae blew him a kiss, smirk turning into a full-blown smile.

Next to him, Minseok snorted.  “You’re so petty.”

“He started it,” Jongdae sing-songed, the storm around them starting to dissipate with Jongdae’s lightening mood.

Minseok sighed.  “Whatever. We should be heading back too. The King of Heroes announcement is in three hours and Junmyeon wants everyone there early to tell us something.”

“Why can’t he just let us know whatever he wants over our group chat like everyone else does?” Jongdae groaned, turning to walk back to where he’d left his ride.

“You know how he is,” Minseok laughed, shaking his hair out.  “Just make sure not to be late.”

“You should be telling that to Gust, not me,” Jongdae called, reaching his motorcycle.

He couldn’t hold back the cackle that bubbled up at Minseok’s pained expression with the mention of Sehun, the youngest hero currently on active duty.

“I’ll be there, Frost. Don’t worry.”  Jongdae started up his bike with a touch, electricity coursing through him into the motorcycle’s circuitry.  It came alive with a satisfying rumble, forcing Jongdae to shout the last part. “See you tonight!”

“And don’t forget to play nice with Starburst!” Minseok shouted as Jongdae zoomed past.

“I’ll try!”

 

 

“Really, Jongdae?” Baekhyun huffed, unimpressed.  “A freak thunderstorm?  _ Really? _ ”

Jongdae swiped a finger sandwich off Baekhyun’s plate, popping it in his mouth in one go.  “I ‘on’t ho ‘hat you’re ‘alking a’out.”

Baekhyun scrunched his nose in distaste, the simple black eye-mask he was wearing crinkling with the movement.  “Gross. And children can lie better than that.”

“Are you suggesting,” Jongdae said after swallowing, a hand placed on his chest in mock hurt, mirth glittering in his eyes, “That I would be petty enough to  _ rain on your parade _ ?”

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes at him, but Jongdae caught the way the other man’s lips were twitching up at the corners.

“You’re not punny,” he eventually said, small smile breaking out on his face.

Jongdae laughed.  “Excuse you, I’m hilarious.”

Baekhyun huffed, running a hand through his hair, shifting the light so it appeared to be silver.  “I still think the rain was a lot.”

“And I think you creating an  _ illusion _ to trick me into running into the  _ Han River _ was a lot,” Jongdae scoffed, shoving lightly at Baekhyun’s shoulder.  “What kind of friend does that?”

“A best friend who loves you and really,  _ really _ needed to raise his board ranking?” Baekhyun tried, wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s waist in a backhug.

Jongdae rolled his eyes, shuffling forward with Baekhyun still clinging to him like a giant koala.  “You came in third last time! Out of eleven! That’s a good ranking, Baek.”

Baekhyun buried his face against Jongdae’s shoulder with a groan, sending a small, unnoticeable shiver down Jongdae’s spine.  He mumbled something unintelligible out, his breath warming the thin material of Jongdae’s dress shirt.

“Was I supposed to understand that?” Jongdae laughed, swiping more food from the plate Baekhyun was still holding as he waddle-walked them away from the main event room into an elevator, pressing the button for the floor they were supposed to meet Junmyeon on.

Baekhyun made a high-pitched whine but raised his head anyway, hooking his chin on Jongdae’s shoulder.

“I said, not good enough to land the Lotte sponsorship. It’s either first or nothing with them.”

Jongdae hummed in acknowledgement, picking another hors d’oeuvre from Baekhyun’s plate.  Now would probably be a bad time to mention that Lotte’s representative had called Changmin the other day about signing Jongdae on.  He’d have to tell him later, make it seem like it was a result of that day’s Hero rankings, but ideally before Baekhyun found out on his own or he’d throw a fit.

“Of course,” Baekhyun sighed, sliding around Jongdae so that he was standing at his side when the elevator came to a stop, his arm still casually slung around Jongdae’s waist like it belonged there.  “You’ll probably get first again anyway, even without today’s capture points.”

“You don’t know that,” Jongdae frowned, keeping step with Baekhyun as they exited the elevator and walked down the now familiar hallway.   _ Because Junmyeon was a sentimental bastard who still used the same conference room they all first met in for his Serious Announcements _ , Jongdae thought fondly.

Baekhyun snorted, giving his plate to Jongdae completely when he noticed him eyeing another finger sandwich.  “Of course I do. You’ve only dropped from first place, like, two times since you started hero work.”

“It’s been more than two times,” Jongdae mumbled weakly, somehow managing to shove two sandwiches into his mouth.

“Oh, all right,” Baekhyun held up his hand, rolling his eyes.  “ _ Three _ times. In  _ ten _ years. My bad.”  Baekhyun paused, looking at Jongdae with amusement coloring his features, a small smile tugging at his lips.  “You look like a chipmunk by the way.”

Jongdae swatted at his shoulder, glaring when Baekhyun tried to poke at his cheeks.  Jongdae hit him with more force in an attempt to protect his still full mouth, trying to chew faster without accidentally chomping down on his tongue or choking.  Baekhyun, eyes glittering in a way that promised nothing good, returned the favor by trying to lunge at him. From there, as everything usually did between the two heroes, things just escalated until they were tumbling through the conference room doors, inadvertently tackling a startled Junmyeon to the floor with them.

“Glad to see you’re playing nice,” Minseok commented dryly, standing over them, a single eyebrow raised in judgement.

“I was!” Jongdae huffed, trying to disentangle himself from the pile of limbs.  “He started it!”

“Lies!” Baekhyun crowed, rolling over so that he was pining Jongdae with his body weight.  “He speaks lies!”

“God, you’re both such children.”

“Shut up, Sehun,” the two of them snapped at the same time.

“Uh.”  A shadow loomed over them and Jongdae craned his neck to look up at Yifan, who was staring down at them with concern plastered all over his face from his ridiculously unfair height.  “I think Junmyeon might be dying.”

“Oh shit,” Baekhyun yelped, immediately crawling off of Jongdae.  “Sorry, Jun.”

Once he was free, Jongdae pushed himself up also, realizing that they’d had most of Junmyeon’s upper body trapped under them the whole time.  “Oops. Sorry about that.”

Junmyeon groaned – in despair or relief Jongdae wasn’t sure – still face down on the floor.  “What did I do to deserve this?”

“Apparently, stand in front of the door,” Lu Han snickered from where he was perched on the conference room table, legs swinging like a child’s.  He whined when Minseok elbowed him, bottom lip jutting out in a pout that Jongdae always thought had no place being used by a grown ass man who’d be turning thirty-one soon.  “What? It’s true.”

Jongdae swallowed down a snort, Junmyeon giving him an extremely unimpressed look that was still, unfortunately, effective despite how completely ruffled the older man looked after being squashed.

“Need a hand?” he asked instead, offering Junmyeon his hand and an apologetic smile.

“Why is it always you two?” Junmyeon huffed, allowing himself to be pulled up onto his feet, brushing off his very nice, and likely very expensive, suit with an impressive amount of indignation.  “Is it so hard to just keep your hands to yourself like mature adults?”

“It’s their foreplay,” someone snickered and Jongdae immediately whipped his head around to glare at Jongin, who had the nerve to look smug instead of terrified as he should’ve, because Jongdae could and would get back at him for that.

“I don’t care what it is,” Junmyeon soldiered on, ignoring the way Jongdae and Baekhyun were both turning pink.  “When you’re on the job, act like heroes.”

“A bracing speech,” Yixing piped up from the corner of the room he’d situated himself in, full plate of food balanced precariously on his knee.  “But, can we get on with why we’re here? Zhoumi wanted me to speak with a sponsor he invited before the King of Heroes announcement.”

The room filled with poorly concealed laughter as Junmyeon cleared his throat with a cough, his cheeks flushing pink.

“Right. So, two things.”  Lu Han groaned and flopped back on the table he was sitting on, not sitting up even when both Yifan and Minseok nudged (more like whacked) him.  “One, Sehun’s three-year anniversary of being on active duty is coming so don’t forget to clear your schedules for that night.” Sehun made a sound somewhere between a startled yelp and embarrassed whine, the rest of the room mumbling their assent.  “And two, we have a new hero starting today!”

Jongdae dodged Lu Han’s leg as the older man swung them out to help him sit up, interest evidently piqued.  Sehun and Jongin paused their quiet gossiping, and even Kyungsoo seemed mildly interested.

“He’s still learning the ropes so he’s going to need a mentor,” Junmyeon continued, pleased that he had everyone’s attention now, even as interest quickly shifted to concern with that statement.  “But I’ve been told he’s a quick learner and I’m sure he’ll do great!”

“Who’s he going to be paired with?” Kyungsoo asked warily, cutting right to the chase.

Jongdae was 110% sure that it wouldn’t be Kyungsoo, since Junmyeon was far too kind to drop a newbie into the number two hero’s lap.  As much as Jongdae got along with and liked the slightly shorter hero, it would’ve honestly been safer to leave the new guy in a lion’s den.

“Definitely not you, Soo,” Baekhyun said, because while everyone was thinking it, only Baekhyun had the balls – and lack of a sense of self-preservation – to say it.

Kyungsoo, to his credit, didn’t try to use the dirt from the potted plants in the room to bury Baekhyun alive.  He also didn’t say  _ “What’s wrong with me being a mentor?” _ because falling into such an obvious trap would’ve just been sad.  Instead, he settled for glaring bloody murder at him, probably imaging all the horrible things he could do if it wouldn’t trigger a Junmyeon Scolding and a dock in pay.

“Don’t worry, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon cut in, giving Baekhyun an admonishing look.  “His manager already requested someone through the Association.” Junmyeon turned to Jongdae, beaming.  “He’ll be in your hands.”

Jongdae blinked, looked around, and then realized that yes, Junmyeon really was looking at him.

“Me?” he squawked.  “Why me?”

“Because the company in charge of overseeing his hero activities wanted him to learn from the best,” Junmyeon replied sunnily.  “And who better than the King of Heroes?”

“Why don’t you do it, then?” Jongdae asked.  “You were King of Heroes way before I was.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun added in, sidling up next to Jongdae so that he could place a supportive hand on the small of his back.  “You still hold the record for longest streak of first place wins. Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to be his mentor? I mean, you did it for most of us.”

A flurry of emotions Jongdae couldn’t quite place flashed across Junmyeon’s face before he eventually settled on something between apologetic and sad.  Before he could say anything, though, Yifan stepped forward, placing one massive hand on Jongdae’s shoulder. 

“The new guy is around your age. He’s getting a late start to his career compared with most of us, so, management and the Association thought it’d be a good idea to partner him up with someone he might feel more comfortable with.”  He stared down at Baekhyun with a wry smile, hand still sitting a little too heavily on Jongdae’s shoulder – and  _ ow _ , he really didn’t need to squeeze that hard, he’d only asked a question.  “I’m sure Jongdae will still have time for you even if he has to look after someone else.”

Jongdae froze, staring up at Yifan with wide eyes while Baekhyun sputtered next to him.

“What am I, his sidekick?”

Jongdae highly doubted that's what Yifan was insinuating, and the knowing light in the older hero’s eyes when he turned his gaze on him pretty much confirmed his suspicions.

“More like demons attached at the hip,” Sehun muttered from the other side of the room, scrolling through his phone with bored flicks of his thumb.

It effectively derailed the conversation, Baekhyun immediately jumping on Sehun’s comment, sending the whole room into playful chaos.  Yifan gave Jongdae one more pointed look before joining the fray, slipping off to stand by Junmyeon’s side, laughing at something Minseok said.

Jongdae didn’t get the chance to read into the possibility that Yifan  _ knew _ before Junmyeon was calling order to the room again.

“It’s like herding a bunch of wild animals,” he grumbled once everyone had more or less settled down.  “I hope you know, our newest coworker has been waiting for us outside the door. We’ll be lucky if all the noise didn’t scare him off.”

“It didn’t,” Lu Han called, smiling like he’d never done anything wrong in his life.  “He’s thinking really loudly about how excited he is to meet some of his idols, which, might I say, I’m one of.”

“Oh no,” Jongdae mock whispered, eyes going wide.  “What’s he going to think once he learns that Lu Han’s actually a gremlin?”

“It’s going to crush all his newbie dreams,” Baekhyun whispered back.

“Hey!”

“No, no.”  Junmyeon stepped in.  “We’re not starting that again. I’m going to introduce the new hero, you’ll all play nice and say hello, Jongdae will exchange contact info and then meet us back stage to get ready for the ranking announcement.”

Junmyeon waited for everyone to voice their agreement before putting on his best people-greeting smile and opening the conference room doors.

Honestly, when Yifan had said the new guy was around Jongdae’s age, Jongdae had been imagining someone around his height.  Not that there was any reason for him to think that beyond the fact that both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun happened to fall into both categories.  So, when a beanpole a few centimeters short of Yifan’s height walked in, Jongdae couldn’t help but gape.

“A fly’s gonna get in,” Baekhyun grumbled under his breath.

“He’s a giant,” Jongdae hissed back, watching as said giant loomed over Junmyeon as they said their hello’s.  “He’s almost as tall as Yifan. Sehun isn’t even that tall yet.”

“Thank god for that,” Baekhyun muttered.

“Zeus!”

Jongdae and Baekhyun both turned, Jongdae scrunching his nose at how odd it was to hear his codename coming from Junmyeon’s mouth.

“I guess I should go,” Jongdae sighed.

“Before he gets impatient? Yeah, probably,” Baekhyun snorted.  He gave him a gentle shove forward. “We’re hanging out at your place later tonight, right?”

Jongdae smiled, aware of Yifan’s eyes on him, observing their interaction, and nodded.  If Yifan didn’t know then he sure as hell suspected, which Jongdae wasn’t sure how to feel about.  Oh well, not much he could do about it now. He’d have to mention it to Baekhyun later, though, which would be fun.

As it was, Jongdae straightened out his suit and walked over to meet the person he’d be stuck with for the foreseeable future.

“Zeus,” Junmyeon smiled, placing a hand on Jongdae’s back.  “This is Pyre, he’ll be shadowing you for the next month or so, just until he gets adjusted to the job.”

Jongdae startled back when the tall man in front of him suddenly dropped into a perfect ninety-degree bow.

“It’s an honor to meet you!” he boomed, voice coming out two decibels too loud from excitement.  “Park Chanyeol, at your service!”

Jongdae snorted at the pinched look he caught flashing across Junmyeon’s face from his periphery and the muttered  _ “Oh great, another loud one. Just my luck” _ . 

“Pleasure to meet you too, Chanyeol, although it’s generally tradition to hold off on giving away your real name until you’ve made it through the probationary period.”

Chanyeol snapped up so quickly Jongdae was sure he’d twigged something in his back.  His eyes had gone round, panic evident, and while Jongdae found it entertaining, he could feel Junmyeon’s disapproval weighing him down with a vengeance.

“Woah there,” Jongdae said before Chanyeol could start trying to apologize.  “I was joking. Well, sort of. It’s not that strict of a tradition. Please don’t bow again.”

Chanyeol’s shoulders, which had hitched up to his very impressive ears, immediately relaxed, a much more natural smile slipping onto his face.  He let out a little sheepish laugh, scratching at the back of his neck.

“Sorry, I’m just really excited to be here.”

Jongdae laughed.  “It’s all good. I accidentally zapped Trident when I first met him.”

Chanyeol turned wide eyes on Junmyeon who was letting out a long-suffering sigh at the memory.

“It kind of triggered a whole chain of events that ended with the power going out for the entire city, and I still managed to become King of Heroes. So seriously, it’s no biggie!” Jongdae finished sunnily.

“Oh god, this was a bad idea,” Junmyeon groaned.  “Okay. I’m going to leave you two to exchange contact info. Zeus, I’ll see you backstage. Pyre, you too. Don’t forget you officially start next week, so please stay out of trouble until then.”

Jongdae watched Junmyeon walk off, Yifan and Minseok falling in step with him, offering consoling pats on the back.  Jongdae couldn’t help chuckling at the sight.

“He’s a bit high-strung, isn’t he?”

Jongdae laughed, turning back to Chanyeol.  “That’s putting it mildly. He’s been at this a long time though, so he knows his shit. He feels responsible for the rest of us, kind of like a surrogate big brother.”

“Sounds nice,” Chanyeol laughed, one eye scrunching up more than the other.

“It is,” Jongdae agreed.

“So,” Chanyeol started.  “I guess we should exchange numbers then?”

“Yeah, here.”  Jongdae quickly fished his phone out of his pocket, opening up a new contact page.

Chanyeol handed over his phone, nearly fumbling it as he backtracked to keep Jongdae from seeing his screensaver.

“Was that…Kyungsoo?” Jongdae asked, Cheshire grin beginning to grow on his face.

“Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol looked up from Jongdae’s phone with wide eyes.  “Is that Abyss’ name?”

_ Oops _ .  “Don’t tell him I told you that?”

Chanyeol nodded his head so quickly Jongdae worried for his neck.  “Of course. And really, thank you for all this, Zeus.”

Jongdae laughed.  “Kim Jongdae. And I look forward to working with you, Pyre.”

The rest of the night’s events passed in a blur, as they usually did.  Jongdae suited up, slipping back into his lightly armored super suit, the dark material a comfort against his skin as the stage under them all rose, leaving them on display for the cheering crowd that had assembled.  On his right, Yifan was tall and imposing in his flight gear, the stage lights reflecting off his helmet and metal plating. To his left was Kyungsoo, his heavily armored suit plastered with brightly colored endorsements that stood out in stark contrast to the otherwise plain black of his gear.

Jongdae smiled prettily and waved to the audience, making sure to look into the hovering news cameras so they could get their glamour shot.

The announcer hyped up the crowd as the massive screen behind them lit up, that season’s rankings showing up starting from last place.  Names were announced quickly as the heroes on stage tried not to openly laugh at the drop in Lu Han’s rank, while they cheered for the rise in Minseok’s.  Baekhyun, with that day’s capture points, managed to bump Kyungsoo into third and take second for himself. Jongdae, as Baekhyun had guessed earlier, took first, his face filling the jumbotron as congratulatory music played from the surrounding speakers.

The night ended with the announcement that Chanyeol would be joining their ranks, the new hero stepping onto the stage decked out in a sleek red and gold super suit.  It was designed in the way all new suits were, the armor plating interfaced so it wasn’t obvious, making the overall look less bulky and more streamlined. Chanyeol made a brief speech, his nerves showing just enough for him to come off sweet and charming.

Jongdae couldn’t help but laugh.  Half of being a hero was having the public’s good opinion on your side – as cynical as that sounded – and Chanyeol seemed like he going to do just fine in that regard.

From there, the closing ceremony started as Kim Heechul, Hero TV’s regional director, promoted the next season while the heroes all took their leave for the night.  Baekhyun, in his well-worn white suit, brushed past him, linking the tips of his fingers briefly with Jongdae’s and giving him a cheeky wink as he passed.

Jongdae rolled his eyes but gave him a small smile, going off to meet up with Changmin to talk about the Lotte sponsorship before heading home for the night.

 

 

Jongdae had just stepped out of the shower and was ruffling his hair with a towel when he heard a knock at his door.

“You’re late,” Jongdae grumbled, opening the door.  “I was about to order food without you.”

“I know, I know. Sunny asked me to stay back for some sponsor stuff, though,” Baekhyun said, sheepish grin on his face as he stepped in to Jongdae’s apartment.  “But look!” He shoved a full take-out bag into Jongdae’s face. “From your favorite jajangmyeon place.”

Jongdae huffed but accepted the food, his stomach growling at the prospect of getting fed.  Just as he was about to open the bag, though, he felt Baekhyun crowd him from behind, strong arms circling his waist.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?” Jongdae asked, not letting go of the bag of food.

“We haven’t done this in weeks,” Baekhyun sighed, voice almost a purr.  He placed a line of soft kisses on Jongdae’s exposed shoulder. Jongdae had only come out in a towel slung low on his waist, a decision he mildly regretted if only because it left him much more exposed than Baekhyun was.  More skin on display for Baekhyun to prod at. “The food can wait.”

Jongdae narrowed his eyes at the bold hand currently trying to sneak its way past his towel.  “I’m hungry, Baek. Because I was waiting. For you.”

Baekhyun nibbled at the lobe of his ear, causing Jongdae’s breath to hitch ever so slightly.  “We can eat later. Or,” he pressed his hips forward, grinding against Jongdae’s ass, “if you really want to eat something…”

Jongdae promptly pinched Baekhyun’s thigh, earning himself a satisfying yelp and some personal space.  “Wanna try that again, Baekhyun?”

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun whined, bottom lip shoved out into a pout.  Jongdae just raised an eyebrow. Baekhyun groaned, running a hand through his hair.  “Fine. I’ll buy you more food later tonight for making you wait.”

“Excellent,” Jongdae smiled, leaning back against the counter of his kitchenette.

Baekhyun huffed but took the invitation as it was, wasting no time in invading Jongdae’s space again.  “How is it that you earn more, but I’m  _ your _ meal ticket?”

Jongdae laughed, tipping his head back to let Baekhyun kiss a trail up his neck, moaning softly when Baekhyun decided to pay extra attention to an especially sensitive spot just under Jongdae’s ear.

“It’s a trade. You need to apologize? You get me food. I need to apologize? I get you food. See?” Jongdae smiled, leaning back.  “It’s all fair.”

Baekhyun snorted but smiled anyway, leaning forward to chase Jongdae’s lips.  “Whatever you say.”

The ease with which Baekhyun gave in and the gentleness he used when running his hands up Jongdae’s sides and over the planes of his stomach had Jongdae’s heart beating painfully in his chest.   _ Friends. Just friends. _

Unfortunately, no matter how many times Jongdae chanted that in his head, over and over again like a goddamn mantra, it didn’t stop, let alone snuff out, the pure affection and  _ love _ that he could feel filling his lungs.  But that wasn’t allowed. They’d come up with a set of rules when they’d started fucking around and had actually signed it – something that had seemed funny at the time but now haunted Jongdae like a ghost of bad decisions past – and feelings beyond friendship were supposed to be out of the question.  It was supposed to be fun and easy, a way to relieve stress that wouldn’t get them into trouble. But now…

Baekhyun kissed Jongdae like he was trying to steal his breath, sucking and licking his way into Jongdae’s mouth the way he knew he liked best.

…now, Jongdae was royally screwed.

“We’re not doing this in the kitchen again,” Jongdae muttered in between kisses, actively grinding against the thigh Baekhyun had wedged between his legs.  “I couldn’t cook in here for a month without thinking about the fact that you’d had me bent over the counter.”

“You say that likes it’s a bad thing,” Baekhyun laughed, the sound vibrating through his chest and settling on Jongdae’s skin.

“Baek.”

“I hear you, I hear you.”  Baekhyun pressed a wet kiss just under Jongdae’s jaw, stroking a hand down his thigh like a brand.  “Couch or bed then?”

“You pick,” Jongdae huffed, pulling at Baekhyun’s shirt because it wasn’t fair that he had so much more clothes on.  “But if you want this you’re carrying me.”

Baekhyun smiled, brushing his nose against Jongdae’s in a brief eskimo kiss.  “As you wish.”

One of the hottest things about Baekhyun, in Jongdae’s modest opinion, was how strong he was despite appearances.  The fact that he could lift Jongdae up like he weighed nothing – and Jongdae wasn’t light by any standards, all compact muscle – had a wave of arousal coursing through his veins so fast it sent a startled moan spilling from his lips.  He moaned again when clinging to Baekhyun lead to warm skin-on-skin contact, Baekhyun’s muscles tensing against him.

Baekhyun let out a grunt as he dropped Jongdae onto the couch, quickly shucking his jeans and boxers before crawling on top of him.  Jongdae didn’t bother doing more than letting the towel still around his waist fall open, figuring it might help contain the mess they were bound to make, shivering lightly when the cool air hit his heated skin.

“Come here,” Jongdae breathed, pulling Baekhyun down into a kiss, playing with the soft hairs on the back of his neck the way he knew his friend liked.

They laid there kissing like that for a while, lazily rocking against each other, taking things slow the way they could only after a season had just ended and they weren’t expected to be on-call because Junmyeon guaranteed them the night off. 

When they came up for air, Baekhyun began kissing, and biting, and sucking a path down Jongdae’s body.  He started from his neck and methodically worked his way down, leaving red marks that would fade to bruises as he went.  When he reached Jongdae’s stomach, Baekhyun made sure to trace the muscles there with his tongue, nipping at skin as he went, pausing to suck marks into the pale skin whenever Jongdae’s breath hitched due to sensitivity.

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun called, his voice husky.  Jongdae blinked, and when did he close his eyes?  “Jongdae, love, look at me?”

Jongdae full body shivered at the term of endearment, lifting his head enough to look down at Baekhyun.  Baekhyun grinned up at him from where he was hovering near Jongdae’s hard cock, eyes curving into the cute crescents Jongdae had come to adore.

“Think you can keep your eyes on me?” he asked, shifting his weight so he could gently stroke Jongdae’s cock, thumb swiping across the slit to collect the precum that had dribbled out.

Jongdae made a choked off noise somewhere between a moan and a whine, biting his bottom lip hard in an effort to not let his head drop back.

Baekhyun chuckled.  “I’ll take that as a ‘you’ll try’.”

How well Baekhyun knew him was evident in everything he did.  He didn’t go straight for shoving as much of Jongdae as he could into his mouth, instead taking his time to suckle at the head of his dick, letting his tongue swirl around it and dip into the slit.  He kept up those ministrations until Jongdae slipped a shaky hand into Baekhyun’s hair, carding through the silky locks before grabbing a handful. Not too tightly, just enough to have Baekhyun moaning low in his throat.  Using that as his cue, Baekhyun slowly took more of Jongdae into his mouth, making sure to keep bobbing his head, taking more of Jongdae’s cock each time he moved back down until he reached the base, Jongdae’s cock snug in the back of his throat.

“Oh fuck, Baek,” Jongdae shuddered, mouth open and eyes hooded as he took in the sight of Baekhyun’s pretty pink lips stretched around his dick.  Baekhyun glanced up at him from under his lashes, his eyes so dark they were almost black, and  _ fucking winked at him. _  Jongdae stuttered out a laugh.  “Brat.”

Baekhyun hollowed his cheeks in response, dragging out an embarrassingly high keening noise from Jongdae in turn.  Baekhyun chuckled, the vibrations skittering along Jongdae’s dick, and nudged Jongdae’s hips. Jongdae didn’t really need to be told twice, gladly using the handhold he had in Baekhyun’s hair to carefully fuck up into the wet heat of Baekhyun’s mouth.

“Oh god,” Jongdae choked, gradually picking up speed, the coil of pleasure in the pit of his stomach tightening with each thrust up into Baekhyun’s throat.

His vision was starting to blur, body burning with his release so very, very close, rhythm starting to fall apart, and then...Baekhyun pulled off.

“The fuck?” Jongdae gasped, trying to gulp air back into his lungs.  “Dude-“

“I’ll suck you off to finish some other time,” Baekhyun said, voice wrecked and mouth red.  He reached over to the coffee table where the bottle of lube they’d started the last time they did this sill was, his muscles stretching and bunching in a way that had Jongdae’s mouth watering and his poor frazzled mind short-circuiting.  “I want to fuck you tonight. Condoms?”

“I’m all out, but it’s fine if you haven’t been sleeping with anyone else,” Jongdae told him, eyes watching Baekhyun’s face for his answer.

“I haven’t,” Baekhyun replied easily as he squeezed out a fair amount of lube onto his fingers, and Jongdae’s heart hurt because he wasn’t lying, and for all the time that he’d known him, Byun Baekhyun had never been one for monogamy. 

The longest he’d seen Baekhyun date someone was a month and a half, and they’d been doing this fuck buddies song and dance for the past year.

“Jongdae?”

“Hm?” Jongdae hummed, drawn out of the rabbit hole his thoughts had dragged him down.

Baekhyun was looking at him, smiling softly, and, if Jongdae wasn’t wrong – and god he hoped he wasn’t – there was nothing but affection glittering in his eyes. 

“I asked if you’re ready.”

“Oh.”  Jongdae flushed, becoming aware of a lubed finger tracing around his entrance.  “Yeah. Yeah.”

Baekhyun’s smile grew and Jongdae could tell he wanted to laugh, preemptively kicking at Baekhyun’s shoulder to stop him.

“I didn’t laugh!” Baekhyun gasped, smile impossibly wider still.

“You were going to!” Jongdae accused.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, hoisting one of Jongdae’s legs over his shoulders, nipping at the skin of his knee.

Jongdae yelped.  “Baek-“

And then Baekhyun was pushing a finger into him, crooking it before he drew it back out to the tip.

“You were saying?” he asked like the cheeky mother fucker he was.

“I hate you,” Jongdae mumbled weakly, covering his face with his arm.

Baekhyun laughed.  Loudly. He leaned back over as he thrust his finger back in, setting a pace that had Jongdae squirming under him.  He gently pulled Jongdae’s arm away, kissing him long and slow, curling their tongues together.

“No you don’t,” he chided when he pulled back.  “You love me.”

“Hah.”   _ I do. _  “You wish.”   _ Of course I do. _

Baekhyun littered his face with kisses and was moving down to his chest – now two fingers deep, stretching him open with a patience Jongdae did not have – before Jongdae realized he was dropping a kiss on each of his moles.

Jongdae moaned, the lights over them flickering ever so slightly.  Baekhyun grinned, all teeth, promises that had Jongdae’s breath catching in his throat glittering in his eyes.

“Don’t short out the power again, Dae.”

“Fuck you,” Jongdae groaned, back arching as Baekhyun worked his way up to a third finger, curling them, digging in to his prostate.  Sparks danced up Jongdae’s spine, and it took him a second to realize there were actual sparks skittering along his skin, bouncing onto Baekhyun where they touched.  “Last time was your fault.”

Baekhyun moaned at the sensation of Jongdae’s power reaching out for him, his dick which had gone untouched so far twitching in interest, a line of precum dripping onto Jongdae’s skin.  “Fuck- I- ngh. Dae. Can I?”

Jongdae nodded, pawing at Baekhyun’s chest, lightly dragging his nails down to Baekhyun’s stomach, watching the way his muscles flexed.  “Thought you’d never ask.”

Baekhyun pushed himself back up onto his knees, quickly pouring more lube onto his hand, almost dropping the bottle in the process.  He stroked himself once, twice, three times, head tossed back, all the tendons in his neck standing out as he tried to hold himself back.  He was panting heavily by the time he was crawling back over Jongdae, propping himself up on his forearm while he lined his cock up with Jongdae’s entrance.

“Ready?”

“Just do i-“ Jongdae choked off into a long, loud moan as Baekhyun pushed in, the lights flickering again.  “Baek!”

“Oops.”  Jongdae could  _ hear _ Baekhyun’s smile, even if he couldn’t see it from where the other man had buried his face in Jongdae’s shoulder.  “My bad.”

Anything that Jongdae was going to say got lost in the haze that clouded his mind the second Baekhyun started thrusting.  He pulled back until only his tip was still in before he was slamming back home, the sound of skin slapping against skin mixing with Baekhyun’s low grunts and Jongdae’s hiccupping moans, quickly filling the otherwise quiet room.  Baekhyun set a fast pace, Jongdae partially pulled into his lap. Jongdae held onto Baekhyun’s back, blunt nails digging into soft skin, feeling the muscle shifting just under the surface.

The air quickly became unbearably hot, the two of them glowing from their cores, their powers rising to the surface and making the air hum with energy.  Overhead, the lights were all glowing brighter than normal, one constant power surge pushing them past their limits.

“Dae. Jongdae,” Baekhyun was muttering, mouthing really, lips pressed to the crook of Jongdae’s neck.  “Feels good. So good.”

“Hah,” Jongdae breathed.  “Yeah. You know what would be better? If- ngh- you went faster.”

Baekhyun let out an incredulous laugh but didn’t argue, leaning back and grabbing hold of Jongdae’s hips.  He gave him a wink that was downright sleazy. “Your wish is my command.”

When he started again, the angle had Jongdae screaming and the power in his apartment surging.  Every thrust hit his prostate and he could feel himself slipping closer and closer to the edge. He made sure to keep his eyes on Baekhyun, watching the sweat trailing down his chest all the way to where their hips were connected, feeling each inch of Baekhyun’s dick as it pushed into him over and over again.  He watched Baekhyun while Baekhyun kept his gaze trained on his own cock thrusting into Jongdae’s pliant body, enjoying the view if the way his mouth had dropped open was any indication.

Jongdae was so close to tipping over the edge, so painfully close, when his phone started to ring, the tone he’d set for Chanyeol playing over their fucking.

“Shit,” Jongdae hissed.  “Baek, let me-“

“Is that the new guy?” Baekhyun asked, an odd expression crossing his face.

“Yeah, can you just,” Jongdae gestured vaguely towards his phone, “turn it off or something?”

Baekhyun considered his phone ringing away on the coffee table before reaching over and grabbing it.  “He’s pretty handsome, huh?”

“You’re point?” Jongdae asked, annoyance creeping in because he was painfully hard at this point, his cock sitting heavily against his stomach, dribbling precum down the ridges of his muscles.  “Baek, for fucks sake, just decline the ca-“

“Hi.”

Jongdae’s eyes went wide, staring at Baekhyun while he smiled back.  As if he hadn’t just answered Jongdae’s phone in the middle of sex. Because Chanyeol was a loud man, Jongdae could just make out his confused reply.

“No, you called the right number,” Baekhyun laughed.  “Jongdae’s just a little…busy right now.”

He shoved Jongdae into the couch cushions with a particularly rough thrust, startling a choked off moan from Jongdae.  A high, clear sound that was definitely picked up by Jongdae’s phone.

“Mm,” Baekhyun hummed, his smile turning downright feral as he dragged a hand up Jongdae’s thigh.  “Sure, I’ll tell him that you called. No, no, there’s no need to apologize.” He rocked forward again, his free hand dragging back down Jongdae’s thigh to trail his fingers up Jongdae’s cock, too little and too much at the same time.  Jongdae tossed his head back, jaw clenched, whining high in his throat. “Mhm, yeah. Have a good night.”

“I can’t believe you,” Jongdae moaned the second Baekhyun hung up.

“It would’ve been rude to ignore his call,” Baekhyun said, blinking down at Jongdae innocently. 

“Bullshit.”

Baekhyun laughed, turning his head to kiss the inside of Jongdae’s thigh, an apology by Baekhyun’s standards.  “You’re right. My bad. It won’t happen again.”

Jongdae huffed but reached a hand out for Baekhyun, gesturing him to come closer.  Baekhyun complied easily, like he always did – always had – when it came to Jongdae.  “What happened to not letting anyone know about this?”

Baekhyun at least had the decency to blush at that.  “I know.” He chuckled. “That was my rule, wasn’t it?”

Jongdae was proud that when he answered, he didn’t sound as bitter about it as he felt.  “Yup.”

“Hah, sounds about right,” Baekhyun muttered, nuzzling into the crook of Jongdae’s neck and sounding surprisingly bitter himself.

“You don’t have to be jealous, you know,” Jongdae teased, trying to lighten the mood.  “He’s handsome but not really my type.”

“Liar,” Baekhyun laughed, his breath puffing out warm but landing cool against Jongdae’s sweaty, overheated skin.  “You used to go on and on about how hot Yifan was, and how  _ long _ his legs were.”

_ He didn’t deny he was jealous _ Jongdae’s brain helpfully supplied even as he laughed along at the memory.  “My type has changed since then.”

“Oh?” Baekhyun asked, his hips, which had been rolling against Jongdae’s in small circles, starting to pick up speed again.

Jongdae wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s back, keeping their bodies close.  “Yeah.”

Their pace this time was much slower than before, more sensual, each sensation multiplied by the sheer proximity of their bodies.  Jongdae could feel Baekhyun shuddering against him with each controlled thrust forward, his chest starting to glow from within, matching the way Jongdae’s veins were lighting up like Christmas lights.  Baekhyun slipped a hand between them to fist Jongdae’s cock, making him tense in pleasure, back arching, leaving them pressed chest to chest. Baekhyun moaned as Jongdae tightened around him, stroking faster to match the way his hips were driving forward in short, sharp thrusts.  Jongdae felt himself teetering on the edge in no time, Baekhyun’s light seeping into his skin, heating him to the core, pleasure leaving him one step away from falling. He could tell Baekhyun was just as far gone, murmuring sweet nothings into Jongdae’s ear, breath hitching into a soft whine on every other thrust forward.

And then he whispered “ _ Mine _ ” so low and broken Jongdae knew he wasn’t meant to hear, and he was cuming hard, strings of white pooling between them and covering Baekhyun’s fingers, Baekhyun’s name spilling from his lips like a plea.  Baekhyun whimpered and then he was following him, grinding against Jongdae as he rode out both their orgasms. There was a loud pop as the lights in Jongdae’s apartment went out, overwhelmed by the overflow of their combined powers.

They laid there like that, warm and pliant from their releases, until Baekhyun complained about being cold and Jongdae complained about being hungry, forcing them to get up and move around.

Jongdae dragged them both into the shower, scrubbing shampoo into Baekhyun’s hair, standing still for Baekhyun in turn as he ran a shower scrubby over his body, slapping his hands whenever he tried to poke at a ticklish spot.  Baekhyun borrowed a pair of clothes, half of which were ironically his in the first place but had been claimed by Jongdae at some point and never given back, and went to the kitchen to reheat their food while Jongdae cleaned up the couch and made space on the coffee table so they could sit in front of the TV.

When Baekhyun came to sit it was with food cartons balanced in one hand and a pile of blankets draped over the other.  They settled down next to each other, pressed side-to-side, bundled up in the dark with candles because Jongdae didn’t want to be bothered with replacing the lights right now.  They turned on the TV (“Thank god we didn’t blow this out too.”) and found something to watch with minimal bickering, settling into a comfortable silence as they ate. It was all so…domestic.

Jongdae wasn’t sure if Baekhyun realized just how domestic they’d become – because if he was being honest, it wasn’t much different from how they’d been before, just with sex, lots of sex – but he didn’t comment on it, too scared to ruin the moment.

He couldn’t help asking, though:  “Are you really worried about Chanyeol?”

“Is that his name?” Baekhyun asked around a mouthful of food, eyebrow raised.

“He accidentally told it to me in his over-eagerness,” Jongdae snorted.

“Hm.”

“You don’t have to worry about him,” Jongdae said when Baekhyun didn’t continue.

Baekhyun shrugged.  “I mean, we’re not dating. If you wanted to stop what we were doing, all you’d have to do is say so.”

_ Then what the fuck was that earlier? _ Jongdae wanted to scream.  He couldn’t, though, because it wasn’t his place, and Baekhyun was doing the thing that Jongdae hated most.  The thing where he brushed stuff off and shut down rather than talk things out. It was all there in how his shoulders slumped, and his whole face seemed to close off, eyes shuttering into dark unreadable pools that scared Jongdae to look into.

“Well,” Jongdae said, voice thankfully stable, “either way, you don’t have to worry.”

Baekhyun made a non-committal sound of acknowledgement and took another bit of food.

“Oh, by the way, I think Yifan knows about us,” Jongdae said, then, just to be petty.

It was hard to tamp down the satisfaction he felt watching Baekhyun choke and splutter, turning to Jongdae with a deer in headlights expression plastered on his face.

“ _ What?” _

“Yeah. I don’t know for sure, obviously, but I’m pretty sure.”

“Damn.”

Jongdae glanced at him, seeing Baekhyun worrying his bottom lip.  It took a lot of self-control to keep from scoffing.

“Well,” Baekhyun started, “I guess we’ll need to be more careful from now on, then.”

“Sure,” Jongdae said, not happy but not willing to argue with him now.  “Fine.”

Baekhyun looked at him and Jongdae schooled his expression into something congenial, burying down any signs of hurt as deep as they would go.

“Fine?”

Jongdae smiled, his heart hurting.  “Yeah, fine.”

 

 

“So,” Chanyeol drawled the following Monday, already geared up for patrol.  “You and Starburst, huh?”

Jongdae sighed, pulling on the padded underlayer of his suit.  “You can’t tell anyone.”

“You don’t want people to know you’re dating?”

“No,” Jongdae huffed, tugging on the outer layer, sending a small surge of energy through the basic circuitry in the suit to make sure it was all running as it should.  “ _ He’s _ allergic to commitment. He doesn’t want anyone to  _ think _ we’re dating and  _ I _ don’t want to have to explain why we aren’t.”

Jongdae was fixing his mask, setting it so it only covered his eyes, when he realized Chanyeol was staring at him.  He turned to look at the other man, only for everything he’d just said to finally twig in his head.

“You seriously can’t tell anyone that,” he blanched.

Chanyeol nodded, his eyes soft with sympathy.

Jongdae sighed, running a hand through his hair.  He needed to focus. He owed it to Chanyeol, who was placed in his charge and wasn’t a part of the mess that was his love life, to keep his head in the game and not let anything happen while they were out in the city. 

Standing up, he forced a smile on his face.  “Sorry, you ready to go?”

“Yeah.”  Chanyeol smiled back.

“Great. Let’s go.”

“It’s not what we usually do,” Jongdae started, his mask slid down to cover his entire face while they rode through the streets of Seoul on their respective motorcycles.  Chanyeol said he’d requested special mods to his, making it look so much like Jongdae’s that the King of Heroes couldn’t help but be flattered. “But lately there’ve been assaults on NEXT who the police have confirmed to be minor league heroes.”

“I’ve heard,” Chanyeol said, voice grave, a 180 from the excited giant he’d been just that morning.  And it made sense, really, because Chanyeol was new, not young.

“The attacks have been escalating lately,” Jongdae continued.  “Whoever’s doing this is getting bolder, going after bigger fish. The last person they went for was a retired pro hero, Juggernaut.”

“Jesus,” Chanyeol breathed, weaving around a car to pull up next to Jongdae.  “Is he- did he…”

“He died, just like the last three victims,” Jongdae told him, mouth set in a grim line.  “I told you, whoever’s responsible is getting bolder. Evidently, leaving NEXT in the hospital isn’t bad enough.

“And we’re…looking for the culprit?”

Jongdae winced.  “Not exactly. We’re more like…bait. The Association was freaking out so Ju- Trident, took things in his own hands and organized a shift schedule. Enough of us out in the streets to make sure we can maintain the peace, but not so many that we’re scattered if someone needs help.”

Chanyeol absorbed that information in silence, leaving the sounds of the streets as the only noise for while.

“Okay,” he said, letting out a shaky sigh.  “Okay. So today it’s us?”

“Us, Frost, Gust, and Psyche. Everyone else is on standby.”

“Have any active heroes been attacked yet?” Chanyeol asked.

“No.”  Jongdae’s wrist communicator rang and he glanced down to see a crime alert near Hongdae pop up on his radar.  “But, my guess is it’s only a matter of time.”

 

Jongdae, unfortunately, had been right.

 

Two weeks into mentoring Chanyeol, while laying in bed with Baekhyun – who all but avoided him during the day now, only to come knocking on his door at night – after a long day chasing down a team of very bold bankrobbers, both of their wrist communicators went off, a loud foreboding alarm.  They both startled awake, powers crackling to life before they realized what had woken them. 

“Shit,” Baekhyun said, voice scratchy from sleep.  “That can’t be good.”

Jongdae took a fortifying breath, steeling himself as he stared at the blinking red lights of their communicators.

“No,” he said.  “It can’t be.”

They didn’t even bother suiting up, throwing on non-descript hoodies and grabbing their communicators before running out the door.  Jongdae drove them there on his personal bike, breaking the speed limit and taking every shortcut he knew to get to the sadly familiar address as quickly as possible.  When they pulled up, a police perimeter had already formed, their flashing lights casting ominous shadows across the surrounding buildings.

Jongdae and Baekhyun slipped past the police line, flashing their communicators when needed, pushing their way to where they’d spotted Yifan – the blonde hero standing at least a head taller than everyone else.

“Who was it?” Jongdae asked the second they were in earshot.

Yifan turned to them but it was Lu Han, face grim, that answered.

“Jongin.”

Jongdae felt his heart drop.  Jongin had always been like a little brother to him.  He’d started hero work at such a young age, Jongdae had naturally taken the younger NEXT under his wing.  He’d gotten to see him grow and mature, turning into a reliable hero and friend.

Baekhyun wrapped a steadying arm around Jongdae’s waist, the first public display of anything in half a month.  “Is he alive?”

“Yeah,” Minseok sighed, rubbing at his face.  “Conscious too, luckily. His apartment is wrecked, but I don’t think the villain anticipated how slippery the kid is with his power.”

“Can we talk to him?” Jongdae asked, craning his neck to try and catch a glimpse of the younger man.

“I think s- oh, Jun,” Yifan made space for Junmyeon in the little circle that they’d formed.  “How is he?”

Junmyeon’s eyes were red, his cheeks a little wet, but his shoulders were rolled back.  For the first time in a while, Jongdae felt true rage and bloodlust rolling of their gentle friend in waves.

“Yixing is healing him so they’ll both be out of commission for a while. Sehun and Chanyeol volunteered to be their temporary guards, but we’re going to need to properly assign people to that job.”

Everyone nodded, and now that the crowd of EMTs and officers had shifted a bit, Jongdae could just make out Chanyeol’s lanky form curled around a blanket swaddled Jongin, his hair glowing the tiniest bit from using his powers to act as a human heater.

“Did Jongin see his attacker’s face?” Baekhyun asked, eyes sharp, tone all business.

Junmyeon shook his head.  “He said he probably did, but the second the guy got a hand on him it’s like any memory of it was sucked out.”

There was silence while they all processed that.  Jongdae’s mind, unbidden, went back to the crime scene photos from all the other attacks.  He thought of the husks that used to be healthy, strong people, each bearing a dark handprint burned into their skin.  From the grimaces marring some of the others’ faces, they were thinking the same thing.

Jongin was extremely lucky.  The next person probably wouldn’t be.

Baekhyun’s hold on him tightened.  “What do we do?”

Junmyeon took a deep breath.  “We prepare, and whoever he goes after next,” he looked each of them in the eye, his own gone cold like the winter sea, “you don’t hold back.”

The news covered that night as a tragedy, reporting Jongin as being in critical condition – Junmyeon’s decision – to try and ward off a second attempt on his life.  Police presence in NEXT heavy neighborhoods rose in an attempt to quicken their response time, but everyone knew that wouldn’t do much. The killer wasn’t going after random NEXT.  His next target wouldn’t be someone the police would be able to help.

 

The city held its breath.

 

“Do you think one of us is going to die?”

“Jesus,” Jongdae griped, turning a disbelieving expression on Minseok.  “Really? That’s what you want to talk about?”

Minseok shrugged, kicking his feet against the edge of the roof they were currently sitting on, the crystalline plating of his suit catching and reflecting the lights of the city below them.

“I’m not the only one thinking it.”

“We’re strong,” Jongdae said with more conviction than he felt.  “We’ll make it.”

Minseok chuckled under his breath.  “We’re not as strong as you think.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  When the older hero didn’t respond, “Minseok?”

“Why do you think Junmyeon assigned Chanyeol to you?”

Jongdae blinked, thrown by the change in conversation, the wind whipping at his hair.  “Because he didn’t want to do it himself?”

Minseok laughed, the sound loud in the night.  “Is that really what you think?”

“No,” Jongdae admitted.  Junmyeon was too kind for that, too responsible.  “He wouldn’t’ve done it without a reason.”

“He thought it’d be valuable experience for you. Leadership,” Minseok said, smiling.  “He said that teaching you guys played a big part in shaping him to be who he is now, and he wanted you to understand that, Mr. King of Heroes.”

Jongdae scrunched his nose.  “I don’t want to lead anyone. Besides, so long as we have Junmyeon, that position is pretty much filled.”

“And what if Junmyeon wasn’t there? Then what?” Minseok asked, turning to look at him.  “What if he retired?”

“He won’t. He’s the most hero-like hero I’ve ever met. He was born for this.”

Minseok gave him a sad smile.  “And if he didn’t have a choice?”

“What do you…” Jongdae trailed off, gears in his head turning, pieces falling into place.  Junmyeon raising the entire Han River to knock down an escaping helicopter. Junmyeon creating a mini hurricane to finish a fight.  Junmyeon only pulling out his powers in short bursts. Oh.  _ No _ .  “He’s losing his powers.”

Minseok didn’t answer.  Simply smiled.

“When did it start?”  Jongdae asked, voice breaking.  Junmyeon was going to leave them.

“Three months ago. He hasn’t been going into the field as much to try and extend the amount of time he has.”

“Who knows?”  It came out like a whisper.  Junmyeon wouldn’t have a choice.  “The Association definitely doesn’t, they wouldn’t let him work.”

Minseok nodded.  “Yifan was the first person to notice. He went to Yixing for help, and then Lu Han and I for advice.”

“No one else?”

“No.”  Minseok paused.  “He wanted to tell you, but decided to wait. He was going to announce it after this whole mess was over.”

Jongdae swallowed down the ball of frustration building up in his throat.  “He shouldn’t be out there if he doesn’t know when his powers will go.”

“He knows the risk.”

Jongdae frowned looking down at his hands in his lap.  “Doesn’t mean he has to take it.”

“It’s how Junmyeon is.”

“I know but-” Jongdae let out a frustrated huff, raking a hand through his hair.  He felt helpless, like he was ten again, just getting his powers and unable to control them.  “You know what, let’s not talk about this now.”

Minseok chuckled.  “Not talking about it doesn’t make what’s happening change.  But fine,” he bumped his shoulder with Jongdae’s, “We can change the subject. How are things going with Baek?”

Jongdae groaned.  “You’re awful, you know that?”

Minseok laughed.  “No, I’m your friend, and I’m kindly pointing out, one-on-one, that there’s something up between you two and we’ve all noticed.”

“There’s nothing going on between us,” and it wasn’t really a lie.  They hadn’t slept together since Jongin was attacked. Baekhyun had pulled away that night, seemingly lost in his thoughts whenever Jongdae ran into him.

“Sure,” Minseok snorted.  “Because you two haven’t been fucking for the better part of this past year.”

Jongdae almost choked on his spit.

Minseok smiled, sharp and knowing.  “I told you, we’ve all noticed.”

Jongdae coughed.  “What gave us away?”

“The hickies on your neck and the way Baekhyun looked at you, like you were his. He’s surprisingly possessive for someone who used to sleep around so much.”

Jongdae winced.  “It’s not like that. We- we weren’t - aren’t - dating.”

Minseok hummed.  “You should’ve told Baekhyun that. He looked at anyone who got too close to you like he was going to jump them. Scared Chanyeol so much, the guy came to me about it.”

Jongdae couldn’t help the snort that bubbled up at the mental image of giant Chanyeol being terrified of much smaller Baekhyun.  “Then he’s an idiot, because he was the one who insisted we weren’t dating in the first place.”

Neither of them talked for a little after that, listening to Seoul’s nightlife drifting up from the streets.

“You ever think that might be why he pulled away?”

Jongdae frowned.  “What?”

“To do some soul searching. Figure out what he wants to be to you.”

Jongdae thought about it, his mind drifting back to that night that felt longer ago than it was, where in the heat of the moment Baekhyun had called him his.

“That would be nice,” Jongdae laughed weakly.  “But I don’t thi-”

There was an explosion in the distance, a pillar of fire soaring up into the sky, taking the shape of a massive phoenix.

“Chanyeol,” Jongdae breathed.

“Fuck,” Minseok hissed.  He waved his hand, the temperature dropping sharply as an ice ramp rapidly formed out of thin air.  “Move!”

Jongdae didn’t need to be told twice, jumping onto the ramp and letting himself slide down at a speed that would’ve terrified a normal person.  As it was, Jongdae came to a rolling stop, ending up back on his feet as he ran to his bike. Overhead, Minseok was already skating past him, letting momentum do most of his work.

They raced towards the signs of fighting, belatedly noticing that it was beginning to rain the closer they got to the epicenter of it all.

_ Junmyeon _ , Jongdae thought.  There was a loud resonant humming and then an explosion, light scattering everywhere.   _ Shit, Baekhyun! _

He pushed as much energy as was safe into his motorcycle, urging it to go faster, racing the Hero TV cameras he could hear flying past.  When the winds picked up, gradually turning into something resembling a tropical storm, Jongdae sped up, ignoring the rain pelting his face.

_ Almost there _ .

He skidded onto the scene, the wheels of his motorcycle losing traction and forcing him to hop off as it went sliding out from under him, crashing into a pile  of debris.  He landed with a grunt but easily rolled to his feet, quickly taking in the scene around him.

He felt his heart stop.

Minseok, who had gotten there first, was being held down by a heavy boot to his neck, struggling to no avail.  Chanyeol was crying over Junmyeon who was unconscious or dead, blood running down from various open wounds. And Baekhyun. Jongdae arrived just in time to see the NEXT that was responsible for all this (whose body had been predictably warped due to his activities) grab Baekhyun by the throat and lift him off the ground.

“ _ No! _ ” he shouted, thunder crackling in the already gathered clouds above, as the NEXT glowed blue and began to suck  _ everything _ from Baekhyun.

Baekhyun saw him and tried to reach out a hand, to push him away or call him closer Jongdae didn’t know, only for his strength to fail him as his arm flopped uselessly back by his side.  Jongdae sent a lightning bolt crashing to the ground, just missing the NEXT’s body, because to strike him now would be to catch Minseok and Baekhyun in the attack as well. He cried out in frustration when the killer didn’t even flinch, the wind around him picking up on his desperation and anger.  For a moment, Baekhyun caught his attention as he tried to mouth something at Jongdae, tears running down his cheeks and blending in with the rain.

_ I’m sorry. I love you. _

Jongdae felt the exact second his heart broke.  White hot fury combined with a depthless sadness he didn’t know he could feel warred in his body, sending his powers in overdrive for the first time in years.  The already storm force winds kicked up another notch, ripping at clothes and hair and anything not held down properly. The murderous NEXT found himself forced off balance, Minseok being freed as he coughed air back into his lungs, all the while creating ice handholds to keep from being sent flying as well.  The criminal still hadn’t released Baekhyun, though, his grip tightening if anything, and so Jongdae took a risk. He took a risk that somehow, over the years, through constant casual exposure, Baekhyun had developed a small affinity for Jongdae’s powers. Or that his powers would recognize Baekhyun’s and blend with them, instead of seek to destroy them.  He prayed, that he wasn’t about to kill his best friend. He prayed, that he wasn’t about to kill the man he loved.

And then he struck.

 

When he looked back on the news coverage of that moment, he can understand why every news outlet called it a god’s intervention.  

 

The sky split open from one second to the next, the flash of lightning striking true.  The swirl of darkened storm clouds dispersed, effectively ripped apart, to reveal a slowly lightening sky as morning crept in to chase away the night.  A tremendous clap of thunder followed in its wake, shaking the ground under Jongdae’s feet, car alarms around the city going off in tandem from the force of it.  Jongdae saw Baekhyun drop to the ground, coughing and heaving, but blissfully alive. The NEXT that had been responsible for the deaths of so many others was dead where he stood, the smell of charred flesh wafting in the air.

Jongdae smiled, his body feeling light, vision slowly going fuzzy.  He’d stopped him.

Somewhere in his periphery, Jongdae registered Yifan coming in to land, shouting something that was lost on Jongdae’s muddled mind, sounds muted and warped.  The last thing he registered before losing consciousness, was Baekhyun looking over at him, his expression torn between relief and concern. And then, nothing.

  
  
  


When Jongdae eventually came to, it was to the beeping of a heart monitor and the soft sounds of a hospital.  He tried to sit up, immediately regretting his decision when every part of his body  _ screamed _ in protest, his muscles giving out, flopping back onto the mattress with a groan.

“You’re up,” someone said, surprised, quietly coming in to the room.  And really, Jongdae would’ve recognized that voice anywhere.

Baekhyun took a seat in a chair already pulled up to his bedside.  He was in a hospital gown that crinkled with each move, his hair looked like it could probably use a shower, and his skin was paler than it had been before, but he was alive and there.  

“How do you feel?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper as he took Jongdae’s hand in his own, intertwining their fingers.

“Like I got run over by a truck,” Jongdae croaked, voice rough from disuse.  “How long was I…”

“You’ve been down for about a week,” Baekhyun grimaced, stroking his thumb over the soft skin of Jongdae’s wrist, and wow, wasn’t that distracting.  “Doctors all said you were lucky to be alive with how much power you pulled.”

Jongdae huffed, or tried to at least, the action ending with him coughing.  Baekhyun handed him a little paper cup of water, his other hand going to the crook of Jongdae’s neck, gently rubbing the skin there, trying to soothe him.

“That’s about what I expected,” Jongdae managed when he could breathe properly again.

“Yeah, well,” Baekhyun started, tone deadpan.  “We all freaked the fuck out. None of them had ever seen you like this, I hadn’t ever-” he took a deep breath in, letting it out with a shudder, his eyebrows slanted in worry.  “I’d seen you get hurt, but never this bad. They said you could’ve shorted out your powers.”

“I didn’t,” Jongdae said, flexing his fingers and feeling the ever present current running through his body thrum in response.  Jongdae frowed. “That reminds me, what about Junmyeon?”

Baekhyun jutted his chin out, gesturing to the other side of the room.  Jongdae looked and nearly jumped. He must’ve been still pretty out of it if he didn’t sense so many other people in his room.

Junmyeon, wearing a pair of ratty old sweats, was curled in a ball on one of the chairs in the room.  At his feet, sitting on the floor, Yifan had sprawled out, neck bent at an awkward angle to avoid Junmyeon’s knees.  Minseok and Lu Han had taken either side of the taller hero, using his shoulders as pillows, while Chanyeol dozed across all of them like a giant blanket and Kyungsoo leaned against his legs.  Sehun and Jongin had claimed the other chair for themselves, cramming into the slightly bigger loveseat as if they weren’t both roughly six feet tall, their limbs tangled together. Yixing, poor, very clearly exhausted Yixing, had been given the other cot in the room where he’d sprawled out on his stomach like a starfish.  Everyone was snoring softly, deep asleep.

“They didn’t want to leave you alone,” Baekhyun said, smiling softly.  “The nurses kept trying to kick them out until they realized it was like whack-a-mole where one would leave and two more would show up, and they just gave up.”

Jongdae laughed lowly.  “That sounds about right. What’d the doctors say about Junmyeon’s powers?”

Baekhyun pursed his lips, eyes narrowed.  “You knew?”

“I found out from Minseok the night shit hit the fan,” Jongdae told him, not wanting him to think Jongdae had kept anything so important from him.

Baekhyun sighed, running a hand through his hair.  “The NEXT who did all this pretty much absorbed what power he had left, and because it was already on the out, it isn’t coming back.  Yixing tried to heal him but...well. He’s been officially taken off active duty, effective immediately.”

Jongdae nodded.  He was sad, but not surprised.  “And you? Are you okay?”

Baekhyun gave him a tired smile.  “For now. They don’t quite know how the guy’s powers worked, but they think I should recover just fine. Jongin has, so far, so they said things are looking good.”

Jongdae tightened his hold on the hand in his, eyes dropping and ears burning as he asked his next question.  “And us? Are we okay?”

He could feel Baekhyun staring at him, his gaze heavy where it landed.  He refused to look up, too nervous about what he might see in Baekhyun’s expression, so he was startled when Baekhyun’s free hand moved to tilt his chin up.

“Yes,” Baekhyun breathed, giving Jongdae the most beautiful smile.  “Of course.”

Jongdae worried his lip, relief flooding his system so fast he could feel the tell-tale burn of tears against the back of his eyes.

Baekhyun moved his hand to cup his cheek, gently brushing his thumb over Jongdae’s cheekbone.  “I’m sorry it took me nearly dying to figure my shit out.”

“You fucker,” Jongdae sniffled.

Baekhyun laughed, the sound warm and deep, settling in Jongdae’s bones.  “When you’re discharged, want to go get food? My treat.”

“Is that really you’re way of asking me out on a date?” Jongdae snorted, voice wet.

“To be fair, I realized we’ve been dating for a long time now, technically speaking. This would be our,” he did some quick math under his breath, “four? No, five! Five year anniversary!”

“God you’re stupid,” Jongdae laughed, starting to feel a bit overwhelmed from...everything really.

Baekhyun laughed along with him, getting up from his chair to lean in close, until their noses were brushing and every word spoken was said against a pair of pouty, pink lips.  “You’re not wrong, and yet you love me anyway.”

Jongdae smiled, leaning forward just enough for Baekhyun to get the hint and  _ kiss him _ .  It was slow and sweet and full of love, making Jongdae’s toes curl under the thin hospital blanket.  When they broke apart, he placed a soft kiss at the corner of Baekhyun’s mouth, right over the small beauty mark that Jongdae absolutely loved.

“Yeah,” he sighed.  “I really do.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, please leave a comment and/or kudos! I love hearing what you guys think about the story!


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